Bows

Ridley wore a cute little flower headband today, and Reed took it upon himself to make sure the headband was in its perfect place.  All day he positioned and re-positioned the salmon colored flower.  Even as the day was wrapping up after Reed's bath, I caught him adjusting it one more time. 

More love

The boys are really interested in Ridley, and they are really excited when she is awake.  I probably get asked 10 times a day, "Is Ridley awake?"  This morning Ridley was awake and completely engaged with the boys.  I love how mesmerized they are by her. 

I am in love with this little sweetie!

Awesome Helpers

Ridley is one lucky little girl, because she has the best big brothers.  Ryland is very gentle and sweet with her.  He loves to tell her about all his toys, and he is always wanting to help her.  

Reed is right there with the action.  If her swing needs a shove, Reed helps out, but he doesn't want her to cry for one second.  When Ridley gets a little fussy, Reed always has a paci for her.  He is very protective and hands on.

What a lucky little lady!  You have two big brothers to protect you and teach you lots of new things.

What a view

I ran upstairs to put away the boys' laundry.  When I was about to come back downstairs, I noticed the sweetest view from the balcony.  My precious little family watching a show before bedtime.  I am so very blessed.  

When the boys went to sleep, I spent a little one on one time with Ridley before her bedtime.  Tonight she was very alert and wanted to tell me all about something, and I could listen for hours. I love her little baby noises.

Brother Love

Reed decided that he wanted to hold Ridley tonight.  He was really excited and gave us this amazing grin.  John Chris and I were very pleased to see that he was ready to interact with her.  

Ryland wanted his turn with Ridley, so he took over after Reed.  It is really cute to see how sweet he is to her.  He gives her lots of hugs, kisses, and likes to talk to her.   

Precious Cargo

Our first family outing... 

Home Depot, of course.  We all loaded up for a short trip to one of our favorite stores.  We officially need the third row.

Home

Call us crazy, but who would want to stay in the hospital when you can be at home.  We jumped at the opportunity to go home after 24 hours.  We packed up all our things, and we were waiting on Ridley's testing to come back.  Right at 24 hours, she was cleared and discharged.  Hooray!

We washed her hair and dressed her in the special going home outfit.  She looked absolutely precious, and my old pink smocked bubble was perfect on her.

Our close friend and neighbor, Kelsey, brought decorations for our home.  A girly banner and pink balloons for the mailbox.  So festive.  Love it!

She loves her right hand by her face.  This is something I noticed on the ultrasound, and I think it is too sweet that she does it now.  This is her first nap in her bed.

I just can't help myself when I see these two being so sweet.  I have to take a picture.  Sweet daddy and daughter.

Ridley Claire is here!

Our sweet baby girl has arrived, and she is just perfect.  She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long.  She looks very much like her brother, Reed.  The delivery was the easiest one so far with just a minor epidural issue.  

First picture of Ridley

All cleaned up with her hat on and ready for pictures.

Nana brought Ryland and Reed to the hospital to meet Ridley, but only Ryland was interested in holding her.  He was very interested and eager to get his hands on her. Reed was more reserved.  He is not a fan of hospitals, and he has always gotten a bit nervous acting when he sees me there.  I assured him I wasn't hurt, and I would be coming home very soon.  

I thought this was the sweetest moment.  John Chris and his baby girl.  She has already melted his heart. 

Tile

The first shipment of tile for our master bathroom project has arrived.  Hooray!  It doesn't look like much, but it is all the beautiful accent tiles. I can't wait to see it all come together.  It has been a long three years of projects, and I am really looking forward to finishing our home.

Party Time

The boys were so excited to attend one of their friend's birthday party at Bass Pro Shop.  They both wanted to wear camo and were ready to party as soon as they woke up.  When it was finally time to go, I couldn't keep up with how quickly they were buckled in the truck.  

The kiddos went on a scavenger hunt around the store, checked out all the animals, and had a blast putting together their hunting and camping pins.  After cake and ice cream, the little hunters had an opportunity to take aim in the virtual shooting range.  I have to admit, I was pretty proud when both of my boys knew how to old the toy rifle.  

The party was a great success, and Ryland is looking forward to his birthday party at Bass Pro.

Demo

Here we go...

Since we have found the accent tile that we really love, it was time to get started with the demo of the master bathroom.  It must be a boy thing, because even my little guys love to tear stuff up.  While Ryland and Reed knock holes in the sheetrock, John Chris pulls out the corner tub surround and the cabinets.

After the tub was disconnected, the question of removal quickly went down hill.  John Chris figured that there was no way to get the tub out in one piece.  While he broke the tub, the boys played in front of the mirror.  They just love looking at themselves in the mirror.  

This is what we found when John Chris opened the door.  Yikes!  What a mess!  

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Slumber Forts

We turned the game room into a big slumber party room full of forts.  The boys were thrilled to use their imagination and the new modular fort kits that Santa brought.  It took every extra blanket and throw, but it was so much fun.  We played for hours, and the boys spent the night in their forts.

Last Peak

It has been several months since I have had a sonogram, so I was really excited for my appointment. I was excited to see my little girl again and double check that everything is progressing normally.  Everything checked out great, and the sonogram tech estimates that she weighs about 7.5 pounds.   

Bathroom Inspiration

We noticed that a new tile shop was finally open in Southlake, so we decided to take a quick look through their store displays.  John Chris and I both agreed that they had the best sample vignettes of all the places we have looked.  The store was full of nice quality stone and all the finishing touches.  As we browsed the store, we found a great mixed travertine mosaic tile that we both liked for the master shower and accent tile.  I have a feeling it is time to start demo.

Welcome to 2014!

The new year is here, and I love the thought of a fresh, new beginning.  We didn't make any real resolutions this year, but we do have some big plans.  This year will very quickly bring a huge change to all our lives with the addition of a new baby in a few short weeks.  Our biggest plan, if you will, is to keep things as normal as possible for the boys, while still making this addition very special for everyone.  

Of course there is talk of the end to major house projects after the completion of the master bathroom, and the dream of simpler to do lists for the house.  This makes me very excited, because it has been a very long three years in some ways.  I look forward to simply cleaning out the garage on the weekend or re-organizing the game room closet.   

As the boys get a bit older, I am quickly realizing that time is flying by us.  It is hard to believe we will be sending Ryland to Kindergarten this fall.  I must admit, it brings a tear to my eye already.  More reason to enjoy every moment we have this year!